Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW. February 16, 1946 7 INDUSTRY NEWS Govt. Asks Griffiths Be Adjudged Guilty A formal brief asking that the Griffith Amusement Co. and L. C. and H. J. Griffith be found guilty of specific violation of the Sherman AntiTrust Act was laid by the Department of Justice before Judge Edgar S. Vaught in Oklahoma City this week. It was the first development in the Griffith case in a long time, for the brief, of great length, was prepared only after long delay. Attorneys for the Griffith interests declared that on a quick perusal they felt the new Government brief contained no surprises. The defendants now have sixty days in which to file their answering brief, giving their version of what the Judge's decision should be. No ruling bj Judge Vaught is expected until fall, and then the chances are it will be appealed by the losing party. The suit against the Griffiths was first filed in 1938, charging illegal coercion of independents in 15 cities of Oklahoma and Texas. After long preparation the case finally came to trial in 1945. Kirsch New National Allied President Jack Kirsch, president of Allied Theatres of Illinois, was elected president of Allied States Association^ at the annual ^^^^H a r ^ ' low^^ Jack Kirsch president of New Jersey Allied, was elected secretary of the association succeeding Roy E. Harrold of Indiana. Other officers, all of whom were re-elected, were P. J. Wood, Ohio, recording secretary; William L. Ainsworth, Wisconsin, treasurer ; Colonel H. A. Cole, Texas ; Ray Branch, ^lichigan; Jack Kirsch, Illinois and Irving Dollinger, New Jersey, regional vicepresidents ; Abram F. Myers, general counsel and board chairman and W. A. Steffes and H. A. Blum, honorary national councilors. Sydney Samuelson, Cole, Kirsch, M. A. Rosenberg, Smith, Myers and Nathan Yamins were relected to the executive committee. Henry Schoenstadt Dead at 59 Henry Schoenstadt, 59, presfdent of the Schoenstadt circuit and a South Park Commissioner in Chicago, died Sunday at the Michael Reese Hospital from a heart attack. Although the end came suddenly, Mr. Schoenstadt had been ill for some time. Arthur Schoenstadt, brother, and Mrs. Louis Lendenthal and Florence Schoenstadt, sisters, survive. Theatre Balcony Falls Nineteen persons were slightly injured last Wednesday, when a section of plaster on the underside of the balcony of the Squire Theatre, New York, fell into the rear orchestra seats. The section that fell was 20 feet long and 10 across. Approximately 120 patrons were in the house at the time of the accident, the cause of which is still undetermined. 'C <S C Due Next Fall J. Arthur Rank's gargantuan "Caesar and Cleopatra," whose release here it was feared would be delayed indefinitely because of Technicolor print tie-ups, has now been scheduled for special release next fall in the United States and Canada, it was learned this week. A big exploitation campaign is already in preparation which will run the nut of the big picture beyond the already achieved mark of $5,000,000. Spyros Skouras Is National Chairman of Red Cross Drive Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president, has accepted the post of national chairman of the industry's Red Cross drive which will be conducted by 16,000 theatres from March 14 to 20. In accepting the post of chairman, Skouras pointed out that in excess of $18 million had been collected from theatre audiences for the Red Cross in the past three years and it would be his aim to top the figures for any previous drive. Harold J. Fitzgerald, president of Fox Wisconsin Theatres, has been appointed national campaign director for the drive by Skouras, with Seymour Peiser, advertising and publicity director of Fox West Coast Theatres, and B. J. Hynes, managing director of Fox Intermountain Amusement Corp., appointed as Fitzgerald's executive assistants. Sam Shain will act as executive assistant for Skouras. Fitzgerald will make his headquarters at the 20th-Fox home office. William Heineman Joins UWP As V-P And Sales Manager William J. Heineman, general sales manager of Samuel Goldwyn Porductions, was relieved of his contract this week and on Monday will join United World Pictures, Inc. as vice-president and general sales manager. Heineman, a veteran of the industry, entered the business 27 years ago with Pathe in Seattle, later becoming sales manager of the First National Seattle office. He operated an independent exchange in Butte before joining Universal in 1925 as short subject sales manager in San Francisco. At Universal he made rapid steps until he became assistant general sales manager.' By Jock MacGregor The more one watches the activities of J. Arthur Rank, the more one realizes what a powerful fight he is putting up against Hollywood. His pictures may not be setting America on fire, but elsewhere they are cutting into playing time of Hollywood pr^oduct. All his recent deals, though mvolving territories and matters thousands of miles from Hollywood, dig deeply at the heart of American production. They are (1) acquisition of the leading theatres in Eire; (2) a working arrangement with the leading Australian circuit, and (3) acquisition of French prodiictions for showing and distribution, with sub-titles or dubbed dialog by his cuircuits and organizations. Furthermore, there is no hint that Rank will restrict himself to any particular territorJ^ It would seem that w-herever a film could be shown, Rank is interested. His scouts are reconnoitering Egypt, South America and the Continent Indeed, it woud appear not inappropriate for the Hollywood producers to seek additional theatre alliances throughout the world before these are lost. N.Y. Fuel Emeigency Kills Holiday Receipts The picture theatres and Broadway in general took it on the chin this week as a result of Mayor O'Dwyer's drastic fuel emergency order which placed New York under virtual martial law, minus the troops. All business was suspended on Lincoln's Birthday, including film, legitimate, and opera performances, beginning the evening before at midnight. By 6 p.m. the Mayor had lifted the suspension and the theatres were allowed to reopen. However, the short notice afforded the public kept many prospective patrons at home, and the theatres all reported business was far off ; with attendance running from a third to half capacity. This, however, came as a respite, for managers of the first-run houses estimated that if the ban had gone on for another day, more than $1,000,000 would have been lost to the box-office. Although no figures were available, it was generally assumed the losses came to about $250,000. Most houses, shut by the executive order, kept skeleton crews on duty all day, and were ready instantaneously to re-open. Taking Broadway's show-windows as a criterion, the Radio City Music Hall reported a line of 1200 persons when it opened at 6:30 p.m. The house seats a few hundred under 6000. Despite the inability of the management to put on the stage show, MGM's "Adventure" plus short subjects drew capacity crowds as tlie evening progressed. The Paramount likewise, drew near capacity audiences for "Aliss Susie Slagles's" aided by the personal appearance of Danny Kaye. The Roxy, however, with "Fallen Angel" and Carmen Aliranda heading the stage show, was only playing to half capacity business for its 6000 seats. The house ordinarily would have grossed $25,000 on the day. The Capitol, with "The Harvey Girls," also played to half-capacity. Neighborhood houses, circuit operated, reported business below par as a general average. Four in New Paramount Block Paramount this week announced that the fifth block of releases for the 1945-46 season will be composed of four features. The pictures in the latest block are : 'To Each His 0\to," "Our Hearts Were Growing Up," "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers,'' and "Hot Cargo." Rank now announces the appointment of Air Commodore F. M. F. West, VC, CBE, MC, Director of Foreign Liaison at the Air ^linistry, as assistant managing director of Eagle-Lion. Since he has been 31^/2 years in the ser\nces, it is likely he has much to learn about the industry and that he will begin by being, to a great extent, a "goodwill ambassador" for the Rank interests. Having had six films running concurrently in the West End, Rank now has only "Caesar and Cleopatra," which is in its ninth week at the Odeon, Marble Arch, where despite one of the worst presses on record and being the butt of many alleged radio comedians' cracks, it is doing nicely. Gabriel Pascal, its producer, it is alleged, having heard that David Selznick has spent more money on "Duel in the Sun." is contemplating flying to Hollj^vood to obtain the formula. Pascal is now planning the production of G. B. Shaw's "St. Joan." It is not yet known whether Rank will handle this release. At present 24 films are in production in British studios and at least 16 are for world-wide release. Three are in Technicolor and 14 are to be handled by Rank. LONDON OBSERVATIONS